New Year Special: Mark Vernon

BITCHIKKA: What got you interested in the blockchain technology?Mark Vernon: About 6 years ago, probably the same as a lot of people, cryptocurrencies. So I wanted to find some way of giving small amounts of value and paying it out and I discovered bitcoin while searching. Then I bought some and it started going up in value so I bought some more. So that got me into blockchain technology.

BC: How did you get started in the blockchain space?MV: I started playing around with the technology and started creating my own cryptocurrency in 2013, then it blossomed from there. But a lot of the things that I wanted to do, I couldn’t do back then. That slowly morphed from the use permissionless cryptocurrencies and blockchains to permissioned blockchains, which is where we are right now.

BC: What are your favorite cryptocurrencies?MV: Bitcoin because I still own a bit and Stellar because it allows international transfer of money which is pretty cool and of course our own Tag coin cryptocurrency running in Tagcash app.

BC: Do you have any favorite blockchain projects that you’re currently working on?MV: Aside from the use of money and assets and stuff like that, we’re working on the use of blockchain for provenancing and for proof of supply chain. So that’s got nothing to do with assets, nothing to do with currencies and that’s particularly interesting to me right now. And that will be under a new company / product called Proofcore.

BC: What do you outside blockchain industry?MV: I sail, do Muay Thai, I swim and other fun things, but a lot of my waking time is learning and studying blockchain because there’s new stuff coming out everyday.

BC: If you were not working in the blockchain industry, where would you be?MV: Probably sailing or probably investing in small startups and mentoring.

BC: How’s your 2018 and what was the highlight of your year?MV: My 2018 was slow going with regulatory concerns but at least we got our EMI license in 2018.

BC: What are you looking forward to this coming 2019?MV: I’m looking forward to getting the various licenses to actually progress and do more with Tagcash.